Jayalalithaa announces candidates for Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu

February 24, 2014 15:09 IST

Stealing a march over other political parties, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday announced candidates for 40 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state and Puducherry.

Addressing a press conference on the occasion of her 66th birthday, she declared that her party would fight the coming Lok Sabha elections on the plank of "peace, progress and prosperity".

Though her party has already entered into a poll pact with the Left Front -- including the Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India -- Marxist, Jayalalithaa named candidates for 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry, but said the party would withdraw candidates from seats allocated to allies.

"The alliance talks with CPI and CPI-M are still on and no conclusion has been reached so far. Therefore, the AIADMK will withdraw its candidates in constituencies that will go for allies," she said.

"I appeal to the people of Tamil Nadu to cooperate with us for peace, progress and prosperity, not only for Tamil Nadu, but for the entire India", she said.

Indicating that no more parties will join the AIADMK-led front, Jayalalithaa said, "This alliance (of Left parties and a few local outfits) is enough."

The chief minister admitted that her aim was to win all 40 seats in the state and Puducherry.

Asked if she would seek a special package for Tamil Nadu on the lines of some states including Bihar, which have been pressing for such a sop, Jayalalithaa shot back, "This government is on its way out. We will get whatever (we want) from a new government (which will be formed) in June," she said.

Soon after coming to power in May 2011, Jayalalithaa had demanded that her state be given a special package.

People of Seemandhra have been demanding a special package in the wake of the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also been pressing for a similar scheme for his state.